Prolific thief faces years in prison

EVERETT -- March hasn't been good for Kenneth Moody.After a short trial earlier this month, he was convicted of identity theft. Jurors were convinced he tried to cash a $1,450 forged check at an Everett bank. This week, Moody decided not to roll the dice with another jury. He pleaded guilty to three more felony charges. These new convictions are tied to Moody's attempts to pass himself off as a cop in order to steal from Snohomish County stores.April isn't looking much better for Moody. That's when he's scheduled to be sentenced. He's facing years in prison, in large part because of his extensive criminal history.Moody has been racking up felonies since he was a teenager. Court papers show that he is a prolific thief. His last prison stay was in federal lockup stemming from a 2000 conviction for armed bank robbery.He tried to evade capture in that case by hiding out in the Boeing plant in Everett. Police spent about 10 hours searching for him in the 98-acre plant. He eventually was found wearing coveralls and a hard hat in an attic crawl space area.Plans are under way for Moody to lobby for an alternative sentence offered to people whose crimes are tied to drug addiction. The state Department of Corrections is expected to evaluate whether Moody meets the criteria that would allow him to spend a portion of his prison sentence in drug treatment.His criminal history doesn't show any drug convictions.Moody came under investigation in Snohomish in June when he tried to shoplift from Home Depot. He flashed a badge when confronted about stealing. He told the store employee he was working undercover and warned the man not to "blow his cover."When the man pressed him for more identification, Moody and a woman fled the store.A similar report was taken a day later at the Home Depot in Marysville.Snohomish detectives caught up with Moody in August. He led officers on a high-speed pursuit and held police at bay for about an hour before finally surrendering at his home.Police searched his house and located a badge stolen from an Island County sheriff's deputy. Moody's girlfriend is related to the sheriff's deputy, court papers said. Police also discovered a set of handcuffs, a police uniform, a makeshift duty belt outfitted with pepper spray and police-style radios.Neighbors also reported that Moody tried to convince them he was a federal lawman.Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.

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